Chapter One: And So Here I Am…
Friday: December 19—around evening
It was snowing. Sesshoumaru watched the thick, fat flakes swirling down past the airplane windows as he waited to exit. The woman and her hell-spawn had somehow gotten into line away from where he was, much to his relief.
With briefcase in hand and the strap to his laptop bag thrown over his shoulder, Sesshoumaru trailed after his fellow passengers into the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Although not as large as the others he had been to, the airport was still easy to become lost in if one hadn't been there the hundreds of times he had.
It did not take long to have all the passengers shuffled off the plane and out into the waiting area of the airport, where a surprisingly large cluster of people milled in anticipation of all of the flights' arrivals. Sesshoumaru watched with disinterest as the woman who had fallen asleep on his shoulder immediately ran into the crowd, flinging her arms around a man's neck and having him lift her off her feet. Such an overdone display, in his opinion.
Taking only a brief once-over of the crowd, Sesshoumaru squeezed over to the edge and began to make his way around to the escalators. As was another custom of his family's, they were late. He had come to except it after all these years. He could get his baggage—and occasionally a coffee—long before they arrived. This tardiness was a Hakamatsu trait he was very happy not to have received.
Adjusting the weight of his laptop on his shoulder, Sesshoumaru skirted the mass of humanity with skilled ease and soon found himself in relatively open space near the open fast-food place—he didn't even care to notice which—and the restrooms. He turned back to the crowd behind for a brief moment. He caught sight of a man speaking frantically on his cell phone and he immediately felt a headache start pounding at his temple. Ah…yes, there was the matter of the idiot again, wasn't there?
Moving over to one of the free tables in the diminutive restaurant he unzipped the front pocket in his carry-case and removed his phone. Giving the tiny form of black plastic a scathing look, he turned it on.
What he did for his job…
As predicted, the phone rang less than a minute afterwards, pealing in the most unattractive way. He never bothered to change it, however, since he never let it ring more than once, no matter whom it was.
"Hakamatsu speaking." His voice was flat, businesslike.
"Mr. Hakamatsu! I am so glad to finally get through to you!"
A lesser person would have groaned. Sesshoumaru only pressed his lips together in a firm line. He listened to the loquacious temp prattle on about some little matter that he was not very concerned with.
"And I don't know what to do!"
As he tried to force himself to relax enough to reply, Sesshoumaru reached up and adjusted the white scarf that was thrown over his shoulders, tucking it under the loose lapels of his overcoat to get it out of the way. That idle distraction out of the way, he found himself forced to deal with the stupidity.
"Jaken," he admonished sternly, his tone brooking no argument. "Have I not told you before that you need not worry about such matters? You are a temporary. Temporaries do not worry over which tuxedo they shall wear to the Christmas banquet. Temporaries do not go to said event. Understood?"
The very thought of that ugly man in formal banquet wear trying to socialize with his boss' elite clientele and business partners was enough to turn even his insides, and Sesshoumaru normally considered himself thick-skinned. It was simply amazing what good connections could do. Without them Sesshoumaru was sure the fool would not be in the position to pester him as he had done for the past three years.
"But, Mr. Hakamatsu!" How can someone snivel so much? Sesshoumaru wondered absently. "Who will be going in your place?"
This was getting tedious far too quickly. "No one. I have never participated in the Christmas events. Withop knows this. His clients know this. Why do you not know this?"
"It's not in the notes!"
There was only so much. Only so much utter stupidity he could handle in one phone call. Bringing up a gloved hand he pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off his oncoming headache. It wasn't working. At all. "I've had enough. Call me only if it is an emergency. Is that understood?"
There was a silence. "Er…what do you consider an emergency?"
How he wished he could chuck this phone at that imbecile's thick skull at this very moment. But Sesshoumaru had not made it this far in his life by throwing tantrums. Doing his best to keep his tone level, he replied. "As long as it will not cost me my job, then it is not an emergency. That, or if somehow you burn the office down." That thought made him pause for a brief moment. "I did remind you not to smoke in the office, yes?"
"Yeah…"
"All is good, then. I'm hanging up now, don't call me unless absolutely necessary."
"Okay, Mr. Hakamatsu! I am happy to be—"
Click
"Servile bastard," Sesshoumaru muttered darkly, flipping his phone closed with an abrupt jerk of his wrist and shoving it in his pocket. "I wish you would just leave me be…"
"Having problems, hot-stuff?"
Sesshoumaru blinked. And then blinked again. Did he just hear what he thought he'd heard? Turning around with apprehensive slowness, he caught sight of one of the teenagers behind the counter. She was learning against the plastic surface and watching him with dark, lascivious eyes.
Teenage hormones. Just wonderful…
" I beg your pardon?" Sesshoumaru managed to get out sounding semi-polite.
The girl gave him a grin, shoving off a mouth full of braces. "I saw you talking on the phone. You look kinda upset. Girl-troubles?"
Connecting Jaken with girl-troubles was the most repulsive, perverted idea he had ever heard in his life. He'd get her back for that one.
"It is nothing you should be worried about, little girl."
As he expected, the girl soon became as red as a cherry on fire. She pounded her fist on the gaudy-colored countertop. "Little girl! I'm sixteen, you know!"
It was a good thing for her that he wasn't a stalker. Stupidity knew no bounds it seemed. Sesshoumaru stared the girl down, his expression set in a neutral expression as he stated, with all seriousness: "Sixteen? Well then, I suppose that does entitle you to know everything about the world, now doesn't it? Sixteen years olds now have the right of omniscience. Nothing can be hidden from them. Not even the affairs of complete strangers. They are the noblest of beings in this world, with their wisdom from eleven years of schooling and their hand-fed childhood. Let us also not forget their pervert hormones, its cause the darkest secret of the new age."
By now the girl was staring at him with a completely shocked expression. Feeling particularly smug, Sesshoumaru even indulged himself in giving her a minute bow. "One such as I, a highly accomplished businessman, must bow before you superiority, madam. And must I take your derogatory name as a compliment?"
The teenager's rouged lips moved almost like those of a dead fish as she apparently tried to come up with something to say.
Sesshoumaru smirked. He was getting far too much perverse pleasure out of tormenting this child. It must be stress. Yet perhaps it was best to get it out now, instead of taking it out on the family. Oh, but how they deserved it…
Gathering up his luggage, Sesshoumaru inclined his head in the still flabbergasted girl's direction. "Merry Christmas," he stated serenely, fully aware of the irony.
"Urg…" she managed to croak.
Sesshoumaru left without another word, sliding back into the crowd that was starting to shift towards the escalators. Well, the can be my good deed for the year, he thought to himself as he adjusted his bag strap. Now her parent's won't have to worry about her talking to strangers anymore….
Strangely enough, the idea of that being a good deed worthy of praise must have had some truth to it. Considering that he was able to make it down to the baggage claim without his phone ringing or being caught up in the crowd. An amazing feat indeed.
I should torture teenagers more often… He thought with an amused smirk as he waited in the cluster around the conveyer belt. He allowed himself to eavesdrop on the holiday chatter floating above the whir of the belt as he waited for his luggage. Apparently, one person was not happy to be here, if the man's incessant grumbling was an indication. Which was a deep contrast to the ecstatic little woman bouncing around across from him.
There was talk of parties and terrible relatives, lists of gifts and favorite Christmas carols. All so very mundane things that he could just listen to and not have to process. It was, in an odd antisocial way, rather peaceful.
"Sesshoumaru!"
The peace shattered. Into tiny pieces that not even a parasite could see. As soon as that dreaded voice cut through the air…
"Yo! Airhead! I'm calling you!"
By now people were glancing around and whispering, trying to discover whom this so-called "airhead" was. There were a few giggles as well. At his expense.
Sesshoumaru did not like this at all.
Yet he could do nothing expect for turn around. He knew from experience that if he tired to ignore it, the voice would only get louder. And so with defeated slowness he faced his fate.
A scraggly boy in a red coat, baggy black jeans, and ratty shoes was charging towards him. His blonde hair was a mess—as usually—and his manners were just as deplorable.
Although Sesshoumaru had to admit that he had grown since last year…
"Inu-Yasha," he greeted blandly as his younger stepbrother came to a halt in front of him.
The teen hunched over, breathing heavily with his hands on his knees. Light brown eyes glared up at him through unruly bangs. "Why weren't you upstairs?"
Sesshoumaru sighed, quietly, turning back around to watch for his luggage. By now the stares had started to recede somewhat. "I was. And, as usual, you were late. So I decided to get my luggage."
"Well," Inu-Yasha informed him, straightening up. He stood a few inches shorter than his elder brother did. He moved around to stand at Sesshoumaru's side, head bent to stare up at him. "Dad was worried that your plane was delayed. You know how he gets."
Sesshoumaru only shook his head, eyes scanning the line of baggage. Yes, his father was the rather paranoid sort when it came to planes. For some bizarre reason Inutaisho Hakamatsu was terribly afraid of airplanes. His only real fear, that Sesshoumaru knew of at least. Otherwise his father was a bold, influential man with a commanding personality that made him perfect for the business world. He was a man that many others couldn't help but respect. And Sesshoumaru did—in business matter at least…
Speaking of whom, Sesshoumaru noticed Inu-Yasha turn around and start waving at someone. "Found him!"
Wincing at the crude mannerisms of his younger sibling, Sesshoumaru grudgingly turned to greet his father. Inutaisho was the last of their family to have blonde hair and light brown eyes. He was dressed in a dark blue winter coat that he usually wore when playing with the children outside. His hair was cropped short and combed neatly and he had dark glasses perched on his nose, which Sesshoumaru knew he had to have been using to read flight schedules.
Sesshoumaru had to admit that Inu-Yasha looked more like his father than he himself did, with the broad face and shorter build. Everyone said that the junior executive looked more like his deceased mother, what with the tall and slender physique and more delicate facial structure.
Trailing at his father's side was his youngest stepsibling, a boy with short shaggy black hair and wide dark brown eyes very similar to his own mother's. Souta was the only person under ten in the whole household. He had a dusty Vikings coat on over a green t-shirt and wrinkled jeans. The boy was too busy watching the people who walked past them then his two elder siblings over by the baggage claim.
Sesshoumaru waited until his father was considerably closer before giving his own greeting. "Hello, Father," he intoned calmly, inclining his head slightly.
Inutaisho gave his eldest son a beaming grin as one hand snuck out to stop Souta from wandering off. "Welcome back Sesshoumaru. It's been a while now." He scanned Sesshoumaru with his eyes, seeming to be taking it all in.
And Sesshoumaru knew what he saw. A young man of twenty-six dressed in the latest New York business cold-weather apparel of a long dark coat, light scarf, and dark gloves and boats. A young man who carried his work with him in a death grip. A young man who had cut his hair to a more respectable length so that it rested against his upper back instead of his hips.
A young man that he hadn't even wanted to leave Minnesota to begin with, all those years ago…
"My, you sure do look like a businessman," Inutaisho remarked, before chuckling quietly. "More than I do, it seems." Dragging Souta behind him, the man came up and clamped his hand around Sesshoumaru's arm. "I'm afraid that Christmas time has me acting like parent. At least for a little while." And he grinned, giving the arm he held a firm squeeze before releasing.
Sesshoumaru just stared. That was not what he had expected. Normally it would just be his father prattling on about what the family was doing. There was never a reference to his work—to what he had become.
"Souta. Your brother's home," Inutaisho was saying, trying to draw his youngest son's attention.
Souta glanced away from the people around the baggage claim and looked up at Sesshoumaru. He blinked languidly. "Hi, Sesshoumaru."
"Souta…" Sesshoumaru greeted evenly. He didn't know his younger brother all that well. He had moved out when he had been barely older than a toddler. It was strange to call the boy his brother—even more so than Inu-Yasha.
"Hey, Sess, I think I see your stuff," Inu-Yasha interrupted the silence that had fallen. "Plain and boring gray, right? And expensive looking." he craned to see over the shoulder of a nearby woman. He smirked. "Yep, definitely looks like you. Boring but expensive."
Sesshoumaru whirled around to face his eldest stepsibling, giving him a dark glare. It was the one he reserved for when Inu-Yasha starting acting like that in front of his father. The 'screw-this-moment-up-and-I'll-castrate-you' glare.
"Why don't you two go get your brother's things for him, hm?" Inutaisho suggested smoothly, but they all saw the disapproval in his eyes. Inu-Yasha nodded sullenly, taking Souta and moving away. Sesshoumaru was left standing with Inutaisho. His hand inadvertently tightened into a first around the leather handle of his briefcase, making deep indents into the pliable material.
But to his surprise Inutaisho's expression lightened and he smiled. "A position as junior executive to a big New York firm. Who'd have ever thought it, huh?" He brought up a finger, taping it against his bottom lip as he studied his eldest son. Sesshoumaru refused to react to the perusal and stared fixedly into his father's eyes.
"Mr. Withop has said that he appreciates my hard work," he stated quietly. He felt his eyes twitch slightly, wanting to move away from their focus, but he forced them to stay.
"Does he now?" Inutaisho paused a minute, before nodding. "Yes, I suppose those New York men know good things when they see it. Since they see so many young upstarts and have to find the diamond in all the rough." His eyes caught Sesshoumaru's, his gaze sharp. Sesshoumaru winced lightly, before mentally scolding himself. "Especially considering that this one's a self-made man."
The junior executive could do nothing but stare. That…that had just been a compliment? From the man who was usually disappointed by his career choice…?
The world had to truly be insane…
Inutaisho grinned abruptly, coming forward and clapping Sesshoumaru on the shoulder, who blinked a few times before the idea that his father was speaking again permeated his shock and he actually turned to look at him. "Let's get going before the weather gets really awful. And," he added, glancing over at the two other boys. "Before they open up your suitcases."
Sesshoumaru followed his father's gaze and his face darkened. "Inu-Yasha!"
The teen looked up instantly from where he was bent over the now open front pocket of Sesshoumaru's wheeled suitcase. He didn't have much time before the wrathful figure of his brother appeared before him, black coat swaying like death's cape about his legs.
"What...are…you…doing?" Sesshoumaru ground out slowly in a voice cold as frostbite as his eyes narrowed. Anyone else would have cowered by now, but not Inu-Yasha.
"Feh..." he snorted, standing up and dusting off the legs of his pants. "Not like there's much in there anyhow. Don't know why you're bein' such a prick. Unless there's somethin' in there that you wouldn't want us to see…like, you know," he smirked, before raising a suggestive eyebrow.
I want to kill him. That was the first thought to enter Sesshoumaru's mind as he tried to keep his fingers from circling that imbecile's neck. Yet, no matter how much I want too, I can't. At least not in public…
It didn't help that Inu-Yasha knew his weakness. That he wouldn't retaliate when Inutaisho was around. Oh but later…that was when Inu-Yasha have to watch out…
"Inu-Yasha, close up your brother's suitcase. Now." Inutaisho commanded, coming to stand at his son's side. He had taken off his glasses, storing them in a front pocket. His lips were set, eyes narrowed. His arms were crossed and despite the worn coat, Sesshoumaru recalled the 'pissed-off-father' look from when he had been a kid. And although he was a few inches shorter than Sesshoumaru, Inutaisho was still able to pull it off in a way that made even the reputable junior executive cringe.
Face as pale as the snow outside, Inu-Yasha nodded hastily, forcing the zipper closed.
Inutaisho nodded, plainly pleased. He reached over and took Souta—who was silently laughing at Inu-Yasha—by the arm and turned to go. "In apology you can carry Sesshoumaru's bags for him." He paused a minute before adding. "All of them."
Inu-Yasha grumbled under his breath as he hoisted the duffel bag over his shoulder before taking the handle for the wheeled suitcase in his other hand. He glowered at Sesshoumaru who in turn merely raised a delicate eyebrow. "You packed enough bags to be a girl." He grunted as the two brothers fell in behind Inutaisho.
"For your information, little brother, that bag has your gifts in it."
Inu-Yasha almost dropped the luggage he was holding. He stared at his brother with his mouth agape. At the exact same moment Souta stopped up ahead, whipping around to face them. Inutaisho paused as well, watching all the goings-on with an amused expression.
"No shit?" Inu-Yasha asked incredulously.
"Inu-Yasha…" Inutaisho warned. The boy's mouth snapped shut.
"You actually got us stuff this year, Sesshoumaru?" Souta asked, his eyes wide.
Figures I'd get his attention with that…Sesshoumaru thought sourly.
"Yeah, you actually stopped being a miser for once?"
Sesshoumaru sighed to himself. Was it really that hard to believe? Staring at their astonished faces he concluded that, yes, apparently it was. He raised a jaunty eyebrow. "I take it you don't like the idea?"
"You didn't get us nothin' last year," Inu-Yasha reminded him, before twisting around to poke at the bag he carried. "What's in here anyway? It's heavy."
"I was too busy last year," Sesshoumaru explained coolly, snatching the bag from his stepsibling. Inu-Yasha jumped in surprise. "The rest of your inquiry is none of your business." Sesshoumaru turned to address his father. "Can we go now?"
Inutaisho gave his son a calm smile, his eyes twinkling. "Of course. Come alone now." He had to tug on Souta arm to get him to follow since he was too busy eyeing the bag Sesshoumaru had just slung over his own shoulder.
As Sesshoumaru followed his father through the airport—occasionally glancing back to see if Inu-Yasha had ditched his luggage out of spite—he felt the long-awaited yet hated headache start to form. He had labeled it the 'Family Migraine' a long time before. And the fact that he named a headache wasn't lost on him either. He knew these people pushed him close to the edge.
And still he came back every year… He was able to spend months of his life without a phone call or even e-mail from them. He was able to leave them behind, take a few steps forward with his life.
And then Christmas came and back he was again in the mess. And the most annoying aspect of this was that he didn't know the reason why. Maybe the family had some dark hold over him that he didn't know of and it drew him back every year. Or maybe it was his damnable sense of tradition.
Or maybe it was simply because he…missed them?
Looking up at his father's back, Sesshoumaru doubted that it went so deep as to say he missed them. But maybe it was something along those lines…something he wanted subconsciously.
"I hope that coat is warm, Sesshoumaru," Inutaisho remarked over his shoulder as they approached the main doors. The junior executive looked up to see that the fat flakes of snow he had seen out of the window of the plane had started falling harder and smaller now. Not to mention that the wind had picked up.
Heh…at least there isn't that big of a climate change…
It wasn't that long of a walk to the parking garage. And they were only out in the wind for a minute or so. But it was still cold.
"I hate winter…" Inu-Yasha grumbled as they started walking through the dimly lit parking garage towards the elevators. The wheels of the suitcase slide noisily over the chipped, cold pavement.
Sesshoumaru glanced back at him and saw him slumped down in his jacket in a way that he looked like he had no neck. There was an annoyed expression etched on his face and he kept shooting the falling snow dark looks.
A small smirk graced the junior executive's face. Oh, he knew Inu-Yasha didn't hate winter. In the next few days he would be out in the coldest of weather building a fort of snow for some pointless snowball fight. It was only the fact that he had to be out in this weather for Sesshoumaru that he was so ticked off. But despite that…Sesshoumaru had to agree with the statement. For far different reasons, of course, but the words were basically the same.
In almost no time at all they were crowded into the elevator and the door slide shut behind them. Sesshoumaru readjusted his luggage as he glanced over at his father, trying to ignore Inu-Yasha's grumbling. "Where is everyone else, father?"
Inutaisho shrugged lightly, his eyes focussed on the flashing numbers over the door. "At home," he answered airily. "We have some guests already that needed to be taken care of…"
Sesshoumaru frowned at his father's offhand tone. "So soon?"
"They're special guests."
There was a quick snort behind them both as Inu-Yasha stifled a laugh. Sesshoumaru caught sight of his brother's distorted reflection in the metal doors, watching him slap his hand over his mouth as an almost wicked grin spread over his face. Sesshoumaru glanced in his father's direction again, feeling decidedly uneasy with the situation. Something was going on…
"Special guests…?" he repeated slowly, allowing the quasi-question hang in the air. He turned his head to look directly at Inutaisho, watching his face. The older man continued to stare at the numbers, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet as he waited. Yet there was a sort of stiffness to his expression that made Sesshoumaru believe he was hiding something. That, and the fact that he was blatantly ignoring him, made Sesshoumaru look away, scowling at the rough walls of the lift as if that was the cause of all his problems.
By the time the elevator doors opened, he was certain that some of the paint was beginning to peel…
"Ah…here we are!" Inutaisho exclaimed cheerfully as the elevator doors slide back. Everyone in the lift was forced to step back as a torrent of frigid air poured into the small compartment, blowing hairs, scarves, and snow into their faces.
"You had to park on the top level again…" Sesshoumaru grated out in a deadly monotone, turning his potent glare on his family.
"It was the only place left," Inutaisho remarked nonchalantly before striding off into the swirling snow with his hand wrapped around Souta's arm. Sesshoumaru groaned inwardly. Damn it…if only they weren't so late all the time…
"Gonna ride the elevator all day?" Inu-Yasha's voice taunted from behind him. Sesshoumaru watched his red form out of the corner of his eye as the teenager stepped out into the snow. He stopped on the threshold of the elevator. "Comin'?"
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes wearily before nodding.
"Good," Inu-Yasha remarked as they both trudged out over the windy rooftop. "I didn't come out in this shit to pick up luggage. They could've sent that in the mail."
Sesshoumaru gave Inu-Yasha a befuddled look. Was that some sort of strange way of saying he wanted him there…or was it an insult? He couldn't tell, exactly.
Thankfully, it didn't take that long to find the car. It seemed that Inutaisho had his "family winter car" out; it was a green, four-wheel drive SUV. It wasn't exactly the image Sesshoumaru had of a so-called "family car", but it was perfect for the weather.
Inutaisho already had the back open when they arrived and they threw the luggage in. Even before the door was completely shut Inu-Yasha was running for the driver's seat, waving a set of keys in the air. White air puffed out of his mouth as he exclaimed, almost giddily: "Let's get out of here!"
But Sesshoumaru couldn't move, despite the cold and blowing snow. He was frozen in something remarkably close to fear. Inu-Yasha…was…driving? In this weather? And when the hell had he gotten a licensee? Or, for that matter, a permit!
In that moment he was sure that his life had really gone off the deep end.
The junior executive opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He blinked once, then twice. During his state of comatose shock, Inutaisho took the moment to turn around. He gave his eldest son a quizzical look.
"Sesshoumaru?"
Sesshoumaru's mouth closed with an audible snap. He almost bit his tongue in half in the process. "You're letting him…?"
Inutaisho abandoned his position by the passenger door to approach him, staring up at him through the swirling snow. "And why not? He has to learn somehow."
Sesshoumaru's eyes wandered over in Inu-Yasha's general direction as if on their own free will when he replied, uncertainly. "Whatever you think is best…"
Inutaisho chuckled softly, immediately drawing the younger man's attention. "Come now, 'Shoumaru, do you really believe I would allow him to drive if I didn't know he was up to it? He's actually not as bad as you may think…"
Sesshoumaru nodded absently, his mind somewhere else completely. When was the last time Inutaisho had called him that? About ten years ago… he mentally calculated. It was a childish nickname, something he would never stand from anyone else. Not that anyone would give him one, anyway. Only Inutaisho…
"Come on, you," the older man was saying, with his standardized cheer. "We don't want to freeze to death, now do we?"
Giving into the inevitable, Sesshoumaru climbed into the back of the SUV to sit next to Souta who was already happily playing a handheld video game. Rearranging his long coat around his legs with as much dignity as possible, he settled back to wait for "the ride from Hell."
"'Bout time!" Inu-Yasha called from the front seat before turning the key and revving the engine to life. He shot forward with enough force to give even steel whiplash. Allowing his dignity to fade ever so slightly, Sesshoumaru hunched down in the seat.
This could not be over soon enough…
A/N: The whole razzing of teenagers…I can easily say that I have the right to do that. Since I'm a teenager as well. ^__^
Now you've all had time to meet my "modern Sesshoumaru". A bit of arrogance, grace, and deadlines mixed in with the cynical world, stress, and family problems. It's fun to write…I just hope its IC enough to be believable.
I have days up until Christmas planned already…. And just wait until you meet the rest of the family. ^__^